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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · mark · pit · cue · rock · bass · lie · club

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — in a race
  5. club — a group
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — a stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com